UN agencies and humanitarian partners are reaching more people with much-needed healthcare services in parts of southern Somalia that were once inaccessible due to conflict and insecurity.

“The lack of health services in Somalia has the same effect as conflict; it displaces people,” said Dr. Omar Saleh, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Emergency Coordinator for Somalia. “Entire families are forced to move to areas close to functioning medical facilities. Women and children sometimes walk for weeks to reach a clinic. After the long walk, they usually find out that there isn’t enough medicine or medical personnel to help them.”